News & Events
Intersil Launches World's Most Accurate, Fully Programmable, Chemistry-Independent Battery Chargers Which Maximize Battery Performance and Provide Highest Charging Safety

— Surpasses ISL6253 accuracy (intro'd in 2004), previously the world's most accurate charger product~— Industry's highest performance, lowest overall solution cost for notebook PCs, other portable devices

MILPITAS, CA, May 2, 2005 – Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), a world leader in the design and manufacture of high performance analog solutions, today announced the release of the ISL6251 and ISL6255, the world’s most accurate and advanced chemistry-independent battery chargers. These charger ICs raise performance standards and yield cost savings for makers of notebook PCs and other portable devices. Both devices, through their advanced features and performance, deliver increased battery capacity and life while improving charging safety compared to current and legacy solutions while often enabling the use of smaller and lower-cost AC adapters.

The ISL6251 and ISL6255 offer industry-leading accuracy over an extended temperature range of –10 to 100 degrees C. Over this range, the ISL6251 and ISL6255’s voltage regulation accuracy remains within +/-0.5 percent; charge current accuracy stays within +/-3%; and AC adapter current monitoring accuracy resides in the narrow +/-3 percent range. This superior accuracy results in faster, more complete charging under much safer conditions. System run time and battery life are also extended because of the very accurate handling of battery charging operations. These standards of accuracy are unmatched by any other solution and provide the best handling of the battery under charge.

Current supplied from the AC adapter (or source), is precisely monitored and the charging current is automatically and rapidly reduced when the programmable limit is reached. Tighter source-current monitoring accuracy insures that the maximum amount of current is available for charging when the system is operating near the limit. This accuracy allows the designer the discretion of using a smaller and less costly AC adapter (even one without power factor correction) to complete the charging solution. Moreover, system load transient response time is an order of magnitude faster than competing devices. This quick response minimizes both battery voltage and current transients that can cause a system crash as a result of pack shutdown or AC adapter overload conditions.

Both the ISL6251 and ISL6255 offer a fully programmable and wide range of charging currents. This allows the devices to support batteries with different chemistries, including lithium ion (Li-Ion), nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), and nickel-cadmium (NiCd). Pulse charging, as is often used with NiMH, is also supported.

In addition to the above features, the ISL6255 provides smooth automatic power source selection between AC/DC adapters and battery power as needed. The ISL6255 also contributes further to safety with its DC source power detection capability. This capability allows the charger to recognize the connection of a DC source – such as those available on commercial aircraft – and respond by signaling the host to halt charging for enhanced battery safety.

ISL6251 / ISL6255 Technical Summary

• Industry’s most accurate battery charger ICs for all common battery types:
  • Maximizes battery capacity/life, minimizes charge time, improves safety
  • +/-0.5 percent voltage regulation accuracy
  • +/-3 percent full charging current accuracy
  • +/-3 percent source current monitoring accuracy
• Industry’s fastest input current limit response: less than 100 us
• High efficiency synchronous buck regulator architecture provides > 96% efficiency
• Lowest possible overall solution cost
• 7V to 25V input voltage range for wide application flexibility
• Up to 17.64V battery voltage set point
• Fully programmable charger current limit from zero to full scale (including trickle charge currents)
• Programmable adapter current limit and charge voltage
• AC adapter present indicator
• System power monitor output
• Thermal shutdown
• ISL6255 only features:
  • Automatic selection between AC/DC adapter and battery with smooth transition
  • DC power present indicator – aircraft power capable

Pricing and Availability
Both the ISL6251 and the ISL6255 are available now. The suggested resale price in 1000-unit quantities for the ISL6251HRZ (QFN) is $2.25 and is $2.75 for the ISL6255HRZ (QFN). Both devices are available in 28-pad 5 x 5 mm quad flat no-lead (QFN) packages for space and thermal efficiency and Pb-free packaging is available.

Learn more about Intersil’s complete family of power management solutions that satisfy a broad range of applications, including computing, communications, peripherals, display, networking, telecom, industrial, instrumentation and battery-powered products from Intersil’s Power web site at: http://www.intersil.com/power/ About Intersil
Intersil Corporation, a NASDAQ 100 Index company, is a leader in the design and manufacture of high performance analog semiconductors. The company’s products address three of the industry’s fastest growing markets: flat panel displays, optical storage (CD and DVD recordable) and power management. Intersil products include power management devices for battery management, hot-swap and hot-plug controllers, linear regulators, supervisory ICs, switching DC / DC regulators and power MOSFET drivers; optical storage laser diode drivers; DSL line drivers; video and high performance operational amplifiers; data converters; interface ICs; analog switches and multiplexers; crosspoint switches; voice-over-IP devices; and ICs for military, space and rad-hard applications. For more information about Intersil or to find out how to become a member of our winning team, visit the company’s web site and career page at www.intersil.com.

This release may include "forward looking statements" that are subject to risks and uncertainties. For information identifying economic, political, climatic, currency, regulatory, technological, competitive and some other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward looking statements, see Intersil’s Safe Harbor Forward Looking Statement disclaimer found at http://www.intersil.com/legal.asp, as well as Intersil’s SEC filings as updated from time to time, found at http://www.sec.gov. All trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.